I'm a Black Democrat, Not a Fan of Trump, but I May Be Open to Voting for Him, Maybe

I've been a Democrat-leaning Independent ever since I became an American citizen in 2006. In the last three presidential elections I've voted for the Democratic Candidate for president. For the mid-term elections I've voted for candidates of all political stripes, my decision as to which candidate to vote for has been based on their specific policy positions as oppose to whatever party they belong to.

The election of Donald Trump was a shock to me, as it was to many Democrats. From his referring to African countries as "s*itholes," to his "they're bringing drugs, they're bringing crime" comments, when he launched his campaign, I ended up in a place where I felt my voice was not valued as a minority.

My mother, wisely, advised me to stop putting so much energy into following politics day to day, and to focus on working on my goals. "Stop watching so much CNN, and work on your goals, those pundits are already rich."

I took my mom's advice to heart, and since then my personal economic circumstances have improved dramatically for the better. Now that I'm an entrepreneur I really don't have the interest nor the time to follow the political squabbles and positioning that take place daily online and on TV.

Having said that, with the little amount of politics that I've caught online, or on TV from time to time, it seems like the Democratic Party is moving more towards the left, wanting to introduce programs that will require probably raising taxes. Even worse, some of the rhetoric that is being used by some on the left in discussing members of the top one percent, a group I'm aspiring to join, is very discouraging.

With regards to Trump specifically, I don't like the coarse language that he uses, nor his obsessive use of Twitter. However, I would be lying if I didn't give him the credit for how much easier it is now to start a business, compared to when Obama was in power. My clients are spending much more than they were previously, and I've seen dramatic growth in all my businesses. I couldn't be happier with the ways my revenues are growing so far this year.

Finally, the president has signaled that he's interested in implementing criminal justice reform. Following the practice of President Obama, President Trump has commuted several sentences and has seemed open to wanting to get reform implemented on a wide scale. I'm cautiously optimistic.

Have I made a solid decision to vote for President Trump in 2020? Absolutely not. The larger point is that I'm considering it, depending on who the Democratic candidate ends up being and the proposals they present. I'm open to voting for the Democratic candidate or the president. However, unlike in 2017, when I was totally against any proposal Trump had and would never think of voting for him ever, the change in economic conditions these last two years as well as the possibility of criminal justice reform becoming reality, have made me open to possibly considering voting for him.

Until next time,

Kubvo/Patrick